Carcinoma. Cadeac says it is not rare to see cancer spread from the urinary bladder to all the abdominal organs in the horse. Conté describes a case in the duodenum, Marty one on the pelvic flexure of the colon, Latour on the ileo-cæcal valve, Mario on the floor of the rectum, and Casper in the lymphatic glands of the spleen, stomach, liver, mesentery and omentum, the last showing a mass of 28 lbs.
Epithelioma. When in a growing neoplasm, epithelial cells are arranged not only on the surface, but also in the form of cylinders extending into the substance of the tissues the growth is looked upon as epithelioma. Morot records a growth of this kind on the horse’s colon, and which had grown to enormous dimensions. Röll also mentions it as occurring on the gastric and intestinal mucous membrane.
Cystoma. As seen in the horse these have usually been determined by the presence of foreign bodies. Redieux describes a cyst of the small intestine which enclosed 30 lbs. of sand. Charlot speaks of a cyst placed between the stomach and sternal arch of the double colon, furnished with a smooth serous lining. Vernant and the author have found on the walls of the cæcum and double colon small cysts, each communicating with the interior of the intestine by a narrow opening. Beside mucopurulent matter, these have often in our experience contained the sclerostomata or their larvæ.
Lymphadenoma. Wuth describes a case of obstruction of the rectum by an adenoid tumor as large as the closed fist, which induced a fatal hemorrhage. It was connected with the terminal part of the floating colon. Jobelot records another case.
Tumors of uncertain kinds. A large number of tumors are described in veterinary literature, the true nature of which has not been made out. If these could be successfully differentiated they would add to the above list materially, and other forms not referred to above.
Causes. The causes of these neoplasms are not always traceable. In the case of some an occasion may be found in the presence of an irritant, like worms, sand, gravel, oat seed, etc., found in their interior, in others like the carcinomata we may accept the presence of the protozoön of that disease, and in still others there is an unknown cause, perhaps constitutional or hereditary which predisposes to the new growth. This last cause was probably operative in producing the fatty neoplasm in the rectum of Pritchard’s fat Hereford heifer, seeing that her grandsire also died from a similar lesion.
Symptoms. These usually culminate in the classic symptoms of obstruction of the bowels, but there is sometimes a train of significant symptoms leading up to this climax. Thus in the malignant tumors in particular, though in some other forms as well, there is anæmia, pallor or yellowness of the mucosæ, weakness and emaciation. In other cases there are symptoms of peritonitis and ascites. In others there is obstinate constipation or diarrhœa, the excretions having a peculiar fœtid odor, often suggesting the decomposition of animal matter. They may be mixed with fresh blood, or sloughs from the surface of a tumor, or the whole tumor may be passed at once. Rectal exploration may be intercepted by a rigid stricture, by a tumor blocking the lumen, or a mass may be felt projecting in from one side. Aside from these the situation, form and size of the tumor can sometimes be felt through the flaccid walls of the rectum. In other cases the blocked and distended bowels may be felt, without the identification of a tumor as the cause.
Treatment. For tumors situated in the rectum, the removal by surgical measures (torsion, ecraseur, etc.) is indicated. If the tumor is simple a permanent cure may be hoped for; if malignant it is likely to recur. Tumors situated more anteriorly are usually desperate cases. Yet a certain number of pediculated tumors are detached spontaneously and discharged. In the absence of this, and when a tumor can be certainly diagnosed, there remains a resort to laparotomy, which in the horse is too often unsuccessful. If the tumor can be made out to be malignant and multiple it is useless to resort to removal.
TUMORS OF THE INTESTINE IN CATTLE.
Sarcoma: usually near lymph glands. Lipoma: mucosa, serosa, pediculated, strangulation, obstruction. Fibroma: floating colon. Carcinoma: generalized cancer, colon. Cystoma; reticulum, omasum, abomasum. Undetermined tumors. Symptoms: discovery by rectal examination, in case of debility or digestive disturbance. Treatment: removal through rectum or by laparotomy, spontaneous sloughing. Hyperplasia of intestinal mucosa.